10 Penny Puzzle | Coffee Table Game

✓ In stock, ready to ship

$10.50

Add laser engraving (+$4.00)

Delivery and Shipping

All standard orders normally ship within 1 business day.

Custom orders normally ship within 2 business days.

Description

10 Penny Puzzle is a handcrafted wooden brain teaser that looks trivial and is anything but. Lay all ten pennies flat inside a shallow recess that seems too small to hold them. The opening is precision cut so the coins fit only one way, which turns a handful of change into a real puzzle.

It is a hands-on take on a classic recreational-math problem, circle packing: fitting equal circles into the smallest possible square. Ten is a famously awkward case, because the neat grid your hands want to build wastes space and will not fit. Creative Crafthouse founder Dave Janelle turned that idea into this desk-sized puzzle.

Includes the wooden board, ten pennies, and a printed solution guide.
About 3.75 by 4 inches. Small enough for a desk, coffee table, or pocket.
Solve times range from a minute to days, so it rewards patience over speed.
Personalize it with a laser-engraved name or short message.
A favorite stocking stuffer, white elephant gift, and desk challenge.

Handcrafted in our Hudson, Florida shop. Pairs well with our Dime Dilemma, a sister circle-packing teaser.

Personalize it!

Add a personalized laser engraving to your puzzle or game.

Perfect for gifts
Business marketing opportunity

Payment & Security

Payment methods

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Product Specifications

Dimensions: 4.0 × 4.0 × 0.375
Materials: Wood, Pennies
Difficulty Level: Easy
Age Range: Tweens (9-12 years), Teens (13-18 years), Adults (18+ years)
Piece Count: 10
What's Included: Puzzle board (1), Pennies (10), Instructions and solution sheet (1)
Gift Occasions: Christmas, Birthday, White Elephant, Stocking Stuffer
Personalization Available: Yes
Puzzle Type: Assembly, Packing
Category: Brain Teaser Puzzle
Availability: In Stock

Personalize It!

Did you know we can add a custom laser engraving to every puzzle and game? Well, we can. Add a personal touch to your gift with a name or message.

Personalized laser engraving

a puzzle being laser engraved with personalized text by creative crafthouse

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the 10 Penny Puzzle?

It is a handcrafted wooden brain teaser built on a real mathematics problem: fit all ten pennies flat into a recess that looks far too small to hold them. The opening is precision cut so the coins only settle in one tight arrangement, which is what turns a handful of pennies into a genuine challenge. Dave Janelle, the founder of Creative Crafthouse, took the math and turned it into this coffee-table puzzle.

What is the math behind it?

It is a hands-on version of a classic recreational-math problem called circle packing: how do you fit a set of equal circles into the smallest possible square? Mathematicians have worked out and proven the tightest arrangements for small numbers of circles, and ten is a famously awkward case, because the neat rows your hands want to make waste space and will not fit. The recess is cut to that optimal size, so solving it means physically finding the packing the math predicts.

How do you solve it, and how hard is it?

You have to give up the tidy grid and shift the pennies into a staggered, off-square pattern so the last coin drops flush. Some people see it in a minute and others wrestle with it for days, which is the whole appeal of a puzzle that looks impossible and then suddenly clicks. A printed solution guide is included if you want to peek. If you enjoy this kind of challenge, our Dime Dilemma puts the same circle-packing idea behind a single stubborn coin.

What is included?

Ten pennies, the wooden board with its recessed area, and a printed solution guide. The coins come with it, so it is ready to play right out of the box.

What size is it and what is it made of?

It measures about 3.75 by 4 inches, small enough for a desk, a coffee table, or a pocket. The frame is wood, cut and finished by hand, and the playing pieces are real pennies.

Who is it for?

It suits adults and kids alike, and works as a desk or coffee-table challenge, a stocking stuffer, or a white elephant gift. It is a favorite quick gift for the puzzle lover who thinks they have already solved everything.

Can I personalize the 10 Penny Puzzle?

Yes. The 10 Penny Puzzle can be personalized with a custom laser engraving. Add a name, date, or short message when you order. See our laser engraving page for details and examples. For a custom logo or artwork, request a quote for custom work.

Where is it made and how does it ship?

It is handcrafted in our Hudson, Florida shop and ships from our Florida workshop. Standard orders ship within 1 business day, and personalized orders ship within 2 business days.